1. Field of the Invention
The described technology relates generally to a rechargeable battery. More particularly, the described technology relates generally to a medium or large sized rechargeable battery formed by coupling a plurality of small electrode assemblies in parallel or in series.
2. Description of the Related Art
A rechargeable battery differs from a primary battery in that the rechargeable battery can be repeatedly charged and discharged, while the primary battery can only irreversibly convert chemical energy to electrical energy. A small sized rechargeable battery is used as a power supply for small electronic devices such as cellular phones, notebook computers, and camcorders, while a medium or large sized rechargeable battery is used as a power supply for driving motors in hybrid vehicles and the like.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the described technology and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.